Machine for slitting fabrics.



J. A. CAMERON. MACHINE FOR SLITTING FABRIUS. APPLICATION FILED JAN.13, 1908.

904,247. Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. A. CAMERON. MACHINE FOR SLITTING FABRIUS. APPLICATION FILED 11111.13, 190s.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. A. CAMERON. MACHINE POR SLITTING FABRICS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13, 1908.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

QiijgHEHTS-SHEET 3. I

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. CAMERON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOB SLITTING FABRICS.

Specification of Letters ratent.

Patented Nov. 17, 1908.

Application filed January 13, 1908. Serial No. 410,688.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat 1, JAMES A. CAMERON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Slitting Fabrics, of which the following is' a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in machines for slitting a traveling fabric into any required number of strips, and it conslsts in the novel features and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a comparatively inexpensive highly eflicient machine capable of uniformly dividing a width of fa rie caused to travel through it into a number of strips for use in the various arts requiring them.

The machine comprises any suitable means for drawing a fabric from a roll or bolt through the machine, a tension device through which the fabric passes and which in effect irons it out, a series of cutting disks mounted on a rotary shaft, 9. series of pressure or bed-disks against which said cutting disks slit the traveling fabric, and novel mechanism connected with and utilized for positioning said pressure or bed-disks.

The invention will be fully understood from the detailed descri tion hereinafter presented, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which: j

Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly broken away, of a machine constructed in accordance with and embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of the same; Fig- 3 is a central vertical longitudinal section, partly broken away, of the same; Fi 4t and 5 are detail longitudinal sectiona views of a portion of the machine and, are presented to illustrate two positions of the mechanism connected with and provided for (positioning the pressure disks which afior a bed against which cutters may act when the parts are in the position represented in Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is an enlarged detached perspective view of one of the bars for carrying at their inner ends the pressure or bed-disks; Fig. 7 re resents in detail the spring and its parts or connection with the outer end of the bar shown in Fig. 6.; Fi 8 is a detached perspective view of one o the short axles applied to the inner ends of the bars one of which is'shown in Fig. 6 and upon which axles the pressure or bed-disks are rotatively mounted within the forked inner ends of said bars; Fig. 9 is a detached top view illustrating a portion of a slitted fabric with a portion of the view illustrating a portion of a fabric having the slits cut on the bias of the same, and Fig. 11 is a detached pers ective view, partly broken away, of a bifurcated shoe for holding the bar shown in Fig. 6 in position on the rod or shaft supporting it.

In the drawings 15 designates a suitable supporting fabric for the operative parts of the machine, 16 a length of fabric passing through the machine to be reduced to strips thereby, 17 a shaft carrying a series of cutting disks 18 toact upon the traveling fabric, 19 a series of pressure or bed-disks between which and the cutters 18 the traveling fabric passes, 20 a winding drum or reel for .windmg upon itself the slitted fabric leaving the cutters, and 21 a tension device through which the fabric passes from any suitable source on its way to the cutters 18 "and pres \fiiure disks 19. g

' The shaft 17 has mounted upon it the cutting disks 18 which .are suitably spaced by collars 22, and said shaft receives its rotary motion from a-driving or power wheel 23 through a pinion wheel 24 on the stud 25 and an intermeshin gear wheel 26 on one end of said shaft. %n the other end of the shaft 17 are provided a hand operatingwheel 27 and a belt-wheel 28, the latter of which is utilized-in connection with a belt or cord 29 and belt-wheel 30'for impartin motion to the reel 20, which may be 0 any usual or suitable character.

Extending between the sides of the machine in advance of the lower edges of the cutters 18 is a bed-plate 31 (Fig. 3) over which the fabric 16 passes and which suports and directs it to the cutters, and at the rout of said plate 31 is provided the tension device 21 which comprises, in the present instance, rods.32, 33 and end-plates 34, said rods 32 being extended between the side frames of the machine and secured thereto, and said rods 33 being secured to and carried by the plates 34, which are pivotally mounted at their inner ends on the ends of the inner rod 32 so that they may have a hinged movement thereon, as denoted by cutters thereon; Fig. 10 is a detached top dotted lines in Fig. 3. ",The rods 32, 33 are normally in horizontal alinement and alternate with one another, the rods 33, being; at-

opposite sides of the front rod 32. The fab- -ric 16 passes above the rods 32 and below the *Fig. 3. The plates 34 and rods 33 may be in their position therein.

readily elevated or turned upwardly, as denoted by dotted lines, when it is desired to introduce the end .of the fabric through the machine, and thereafter lowered upon the fabric to, in connection with the rods 32, create the proper tension on the latter and remove or iron out any irregularities in the same, thistension device also assuring the proper feed of the fabric to the cutters and the uniform slitting of the same. The ten sion device 21 is simple in construction and easily handled and also highly eflicient in use.

The pressure-disks 19 are preferably of metal and there is one of these disks directly below each cutter 18. The disks 19 are each rotatively mounted on ashort'spindle or shaft 36 (Fig. 8) having flat-sided endsset within vertical recesses 37 (Fig. 6) formed in the sidesof the rearforked end of a longitudinal bar 38. the disk 19 being between the sides of the fork. There are as many bars 38 as there are disks l9and'cutters 18, so that each bar may independently carry a disk 19 for a cutter, and each bar 38 is recessed to set" and rock upon the transverse shaft 41 upon which all the bars 38 are mounted. The bars 38 are held inposition bybifurcated shoes 39 secured on the shaft'41 by screws 57. The front ends of the bars '38 have flexed against them the leaf springs '42, whose rear ends'are provided with shoes 43 (Fig. 7 to receive them and pass into inclined recesses 44 in the'front, ends of the bars 38, said shoes being recessed 'on their upper and lower sides, asat 45, toengage the walls and-edges of said recesses and thereby become secure against edgewise movement provided for fastening'each shoe 43 in its recess 44. The front ends of the spr'ings42 carry adjusting screws 47 whose ends engage the lower St rface of 'a transverse bar 48 con stitut-ing a portion of the'frame of the machine. against the bar 48 and downwardly against the bars 38, and when the parts are m the position shown in Fig. 3, said springs exert I their force to yieldingly press the disks 19 upwardl I s1on of t "e eaf springs 42 may be adjusted a ainst the cutters18. The tenby the screws 47.

A screw 46 is also The springs '42 press upwardly 9 The ends of the shaft 41 have flat sides to guide vertically in the slotted sides of the vmachine frame (Fig. 2), and below said ends and supporting the shaft 41 are cams 49 secured on a transverse shaft 50, which may have an oscillatory or rotary motion imparted to it, for actuating said cams 49, by means of a handle 51 applied on the end of the same. I may apply as many cams 49 on the shaft 50 as may be required by the size of the machine and the work it is to perform and in the drawings 1 show four cams on said shaft. The shaft 50 has bearings in the sides of the machine and is also supportedv from a transverse bar 52 (Figs. 1 and 3) by standards 53 whose upper ends afford bearings for said shaft. The cams 49 have an eccentric surface 54, a depressed surface 55 and a more greatly depressed or flat surface 56, and each of these surfaces is made use of. W hen the eccentric surfaces 54 of the cams 49 are turned upwardly against the shaft 41 they will elevate said shaft and bars 38 supported thereon to their upper position, shown in Fig. 3, and thereby move the pressure disks 19 into operative relation to the cutters 18, the springs 42 being then flexed to their maximum extent and by pressing downwardly on the front ends of the bars 38 yieldingly forcing said disks against said cutters. The bars 38 have a limited pivotal movement on the shaft 41, and lateral movement of said bars 38 is prevented by the shoes 39 fitting, at their recesses 40, said) shaft 41. When the surfaces 54 of the cams 49 are turned from under the shaft 41 and the depressed surfaces 55 of said cams moved under said shaft, the latter may lower, as shown in Fig. 4, and thereby relieve the pressure disks 19 from the cutters 18, under which condition the work may be adjusted or inserted below the cutters or otherwise manipulated. When the fiat surfaces 56 of the cams 49 are turned below the shaft 41 the latter may lower to its maximum extent or at rest position, as shown in Fig. 5, and under such condition the springs 42 will press the front ends of the bars 38 against a supportingrod 58 provided therefor.

I regard the means hereinbefore described for mounting and manipulating the-pressure disks 19 as'of special value and importance in a machine for slitting fabrics.- In the construction described I obtain a very firm and'uniform though yielding pressure of the disks 19 forni a cutting bed of independent.- rotary yielding sections and they are highly-'9 efl cient in use.

In the employment of the machine, the pressure disks 19 being in their initial lower position, the end of the fabric 16 will be carried over the front corner of the machine frame, thence through the tension device and over the bed 31 and thence between the cutters 18 and pressure disks 19 and to the reel 20, to which it will be connected. The pressure disks 19 will then be elevated to their operative position shown in Fig. 3 and the machine set in motion, with the result that the traveling fabric will be drawn through the machine and slit by the cutters 18, and that the several severed strips will be wound upon the reel 20. When first introducingthe fabric to the machine, the plates 34 carrying the tension rods 33 will be turned upwardly to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3 and the fabric then drawn over the rods 32,. after which the plates as and rods 33 will be lowered to the position shown by full lines in Fig. 3, said rods 33 pressing the fabric downwardly where they touch it below the upper level of the rods 32. During the travel of the fabric through the machine it is kept under proper tension and the folds and the like are ironed out of it by the rods 32, 33 and the fabric is directed in smooth condition by the bed 31 to the cutters 18 and pressure disks 19, the latter keeping the fabric pressed firmly against the cutters and cooperating with said cutters in effecting the subdivision of the width of fabric into strips. The cutters 18 will be spaced on their shaft with respect to the width or widths of strips it may be desired to produce, and the bars 38 carrying the pressure disks will be adjusted along their supporting shaft to meet the positions .of the cutters.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure byLetters-Patent, is:

1. In a machine for slitting fabrics, a series of rotary cutters, a bed against which said cutters ,act, means for drawing a fabric through the machine, and a tension device for engaging the fabric in advance of said cutters and comprising alinedrods 32, 33

above and below which alternately the fabric passes, and hinged end plates 34: carrying said rods 33 and recessed to pass upon a rod 32; substantially as set forth.

2. In a machine for slitting'fabrics, a se-' ries of rotary cutters, a series of rotary pressure disks for cooperation therewith, a series of bars carrylng at one end sald disks,

springs acting against the other ends of said bars, a support for said bars and means for effecting the raising and lowering of said support; substantially as set forth.

In a machine for slitting fabrics, a se ries of rotary cutters, a series of rotary pressure disks for cooperation therewith, a series of bars carrying at one end said disks, springs acting against the other ends of said bars, a rod supporting said bars, a shaft carrying cams supporting said rod,.and means for imparting motion to said shaft for actuating said cams, said cams having surfaces for effecting the raising and lowering of said rod and bars; substantially as set forth.

41. In a machine for slitting fabrics, a series of rotary cutters, a series of rotary pressure disks for cooperation therewith, a series of bars carrying at one end said disks, springs acting against the other ends of said bars, a rod supporting said bars, a shaft carrying cams supporting said rod, and means for imparting motion to said shaft for actuating said cams, said cams having three surfaces for maintaining said rod and bars in their extreme upper and lower positions and at an intermediate position; substantially as set forth.

5. In a machine for slitting fabrics, a series of rotary cutters, a series of rotary pressure disks for cooperation therewith, a series of bars having forked inner ends carrying spindles upon which said disks are mounted, springs acting a ainst the other ends of said bars, a support or said bars, and means for effecting the raisin and lowering of said support; substantially as set forth.

6. In a machine for slitting fabrics, a series of rotary cutters, a series of rotary pressure disks for cooperation therewith, a series of bars having forked inner ends carrying spindles upon which said disks are mounted, springs acting against the other ends of said bars, means for adjusting said springs, a support for said bars, and means for efiecting the raising and lowering of said support; substantially as set forth.

7. In a machine for slitting fabrics, a series of rotary cutters, a series of rotary pressure disks for cooperation therewith, a series of bars carrying at one end said disks, springs acting against the other ends of said bars, a support for said bars and means for effecting the raising and lowering of said support, said springs being of bar character and fastened at one end to said bars, while at their other ends they are flexed against a stationary 'part of the machine; substantially as set forth.

8. In a machine for slitting fabrics, a series of rotary cutters, a series of rotary pressure disks for cooperation therewith, a series of bars carrying at one end said disks, springs acting against the other ends of said bars, a rod supporting said bars, and means for effecting the raising and lowering of said rod and bars, said springs being of bar character and at one end flexed against a stationary part of the machine while at their spindles upon which said disks are mounted, springs acting against the other ends of said bars, a rod supporting said bars, and means for efi'ecting the raising and lowering of said rodysaid bars being provided With bearings fitting said rod; substantially as set forth.

10. In a machine for slitting fabrics, a series of rotary cutters, a series of rotary pres sure disks for cooperation'therewith, a series of bars having forked inner ends carrying spindles upon Which said disks are mounted, springs acting against the other ends of said bars, a rod pivotally supporting said bars,

bifurcated shoes secured on said rod and between the sides of which said bars are posi- 15 tioned, and means for effecting the raising and lowering of said rod; substantiallyas set forth.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 11th 20 day of January A. D. 1908.

JAMES A. CAMERON.

CHAS. C. GILL. 

